Escape
by Erulisse Nostariel
Summary: Annie Leonhart breaks free of her crystalline confines, only to run into Captain Levi. After a heated exchange, Annie manages to stay alive and Levi accepts her unusual offer. The word will continue to shake as more layers of secrecy are peeled back.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

My lungs burned. I slowly opened my eyes and realized I wasn't breathing. Cold crystal surrounded me on all sides.

_What happened?_

I couldn't remember why or how I'd gotten myself in here. But oxygen was now a necessity. The crystal shattered and I collapsed. Shards cut into my skin, drawing blood. Slowly rising, I felt as if every muscle in my body had been strained or broken. Even my throat stung with every breath.

_Water._

I could feel the severe dehydration permeating my body. Everything hurt, I was going to die of thirst, and I had no idea where I was. There was a large steel door across from me, obviously meant to keep others out. I mustered what little strength I had and shoved it open.

"Stop right there!" A guard yelled, drawing his swords. My eyes narrowed to the canteen at his side.

"Water." I croaked. He looked genuinely puzzled. I stepped forward. "Water, I need water." Urgency crept into my tone. "You're not getting any water." He barked.

"If I die, you'll be in trouble." I croaked. The man's glare wavered. "Just give me the water. I'm in no position to attack you." I slumped down to the other side of the hall for emphasis. The man slowly slid the canteen across the floor, clattering on the uneven stones. I greedily gulped down the lukewarm liquid. Screwing the cap back on, I tossed it back to the guard. I could feel myself being hydrated, I was growing stronger.

"Back in the cell." The guard barked. "I'll be informing Hanji-san of your awakening." His swords were back in their sheathes.

_No, you won't._

I lunged, summoning a last burst of manic energy, and punched him square in the jaw. He stumbled, cursing, I grabbed his hand and twisted it into a submission hold. He tried to break free, I used his momentum against him, flipping him on his back. One good swift kick to his head, and he was out cold. I stripped his gear, annoyed at how large it was, and flipped my hood over my head before I walked out the door. Pushing it open, my eyes burned at the sudden exposure to sunlight. Somehow, there were no guards here.

_That's odd. There's no way the guard back there could have signaled to anyone._

Apprehensive, I launched into the air. Moving as fast as I could, I zipped through Sina. The wind blew back my hood, exposing my face for the world to see. But the chill wind snapping in my face felt good. I vaguely wondered if shifting might be faster, but decided against it. There were no titans to call to my aid here. Something burst into my peripheral vision, and then I was pinned to a rooftop.

"Just what are you doing, _Annie Leonhart_?" I looked up into the enraged face of Captain Levi Ackerman. **(See Author's Note below)**

I returned his question with a stone-cold glare. He grip on my neck tightened with his glare. With a few flicks of his hand, my maneuver gear slipped down the roof. Drawing his sword, I smirked. _Go ahead. Cut me. I will crush you. _

He brought it down on my head and I saw stars, but managed to keep conscious. The next blow was not so generous.

~0~

I woke, my head throbbing, tied to chair. Levi had even gagged my mouth.

"Good morning." He drawled. I remained silent.

"Annie, I hope you realize your predicament. No one knows you're gone… for now. But they'll find out. But they won't find you. So you had better cooperate with me. And Annie," He added, whispering into my face. "you'd be dead now if Mikasa hadn't tried to pull that stupid stunt." Ripping the gag from my mouth, he began.

"What is your intent upon kidnapping Eren Yeager?" He asked. I remained impassive. My stomach growled fiercely and I became all too aware of the monster of hunger in my stomach. Levi smirked. Replacing the gag, he left the small apartment, which gave me time to analyze.

The apartment was small and discrete. The windows were all shuttered and the only light came from a candle sitting on a nearby table. No other furniture other than my chair and the table were present. I could hear the bustle of business outside the window. It must still be day or perhaps it was tomorrow already. Either way, we were clearly situated in one of the poorer districts. Sina would never have such sounds in its streets.

The door creaked open again and Levi returned. He set down a paper bag on the table and pulled out a bowl, spoon, and roast chicken. The smell was intoxicating. My mouth watered. I couldn't tear my eyes and the hunger in my belly intensified, if that were even possible.

Levi nonchalantly began to eat his chicken, taking no notice of me. Once the smell of the chicken had filled the entire room and I was nearly screaming from hunger, he removed the gag.

"What was your purpose in kidnapping Eren Yeager?" It was the same question. The intoxicating smell made Levi's question fade out. I swallowed more saliva. My fingernails cut into my palms, stinging, drawing me back to my resolve not to give in. Levi rose from the table he was sitting on and pulled out a chicken leg. Chewing on it, he approached me.

"I know you're hungry." He said, chewing slowly and loudly.

"Give me food and I'll tell you what I know." I countered. Levi seemed to consider it.

"Hm. I wonder if you could eat without your hands." He mused. I glared even harder. He shrugged and stuffed a piece of meat in my mouth. I chewed slowly, savoring the experience. It was a wise person who stated that hunger is the best sauce. _Dang, that person was right._ Levi continued to feed me until he deemed I had enough.

"Speak." He ordered. "What was the objective?"

"I don't know." I sighed. Levi kicked my face, sending a audible crack, and with enough force that I fell over. I bit back a wince. Levi grabbed my bun and pulled me back up by my hair, which destroyed the bun.

"Annie. You _will_ tell me why or I _will_ bring in Hanji."

"Do whatever you want. I know nothing. You cannot break out of me what I don't possess." I replied coldly.

"And why didn't you _so _conveniently mention this earlier?" He growled, throwing me by my hair to floor again.

"Because I wanted to _test the waters_, shall we say?"

"I see. Smart, on your part." He conceded.

"Why was I locked in crystal?" I asked, genuinely curious. Levi froze.

"Don't toy with me."

"I'm not. I don't remember. Something obviously happened and I want to know what."

"You are in no position to demand facts. Especially from _me_" He growled.

"And why is that?" I was getting frustrated with his attitude. Last I checked, I had done him no personal harm.

"I'm guessing you so _unfortunately _don't remember that either?" He turned, venom dripping from his voice.

"Apparently no." I remarked.

"Then what do you remember?" He asked. I considered my options. The truth actually seemed the safest route for once.

"I went to sleep in the Military Police Barracks. And then I woke up encased in crystal." I stated. Levi narrowed his eyes.

"And I'm guessing you don't remember your murderous rampage through the Survey Corps?" He asked. I paused. _How do they know it was me? Another thing that must have happened. _

"Yes." I whispered. Levi's eyes burned with rage.

"And yet you say you have done me no _personal_ harm."

"Then tell me the crime." I asked, thoroughly finished with his games.

"You don't remember snapping Ulou's neck? Or crushing Petra against a tree? Or the deaths of any of my personal fri- squad?" He bit back, trembling. _Good. He wants to hurt me. Pity that his supposed revenge would only lead to his and many others' demise. Oh, how it burns him!_ I thought, smirking.

"I remember them, vaguely. They were very talented indeed."

"So you do remember that much. So how then do you not know why your group wants Eren Yeager?"

"I wasn't told."

"You, a magnificent soldier, weren't told the plan. Annie, this is pathetically transparent of you." He growled, walking towards me.

"Go ahead." I taunted. "Give me a good bruise or cut." Levi stopped. Pulling me up, his eyes bored into mine.

"Weren't you the leader? Reiner and Berthold were just waiting for your commands." He whispered. I fought back the urge to let my shock show. _Another thing I seemed to have missed…_

"Reiner was, not me. I was just there to do the dirty work to protect them. They have all the answers." I whispered, holding his gaze. His grip tightened on my wrist.

"Too bad they're gone. With Ymir. Did she know the plan?" He growled.

"I didn't know about Ymir. I overheard Reiner and Berthold talking about her, but they didn't want me in on it."

"Too bad she's gone too." Levi sighed and turned away.

"Too bad for you." I replied nonchalantly. Levi's hand went to his sword.

"Go ahead." I urged him on. _Yes! Just cut me! _His hand paused.

"Encourage me all you want; I doubt even you could recover from a swift slice to the neck."

"True enough." I replied. Levi had a point. There _were_ ways to kill us, after all.

"Then why shouldn't I?" Levi blade flashed through the air, hovering by my neck.

"Because Eren's skill is mediocre at best."

"And that has anything to do with me killing you how?"

"Because I may be able to help him, and everyone else."

"And we should trust you why?"  
"Because I hate working for Reiner, Berthold, and everyone else. The world isn't what my father said it was. It's not all against me. I don't want to be Annie the Murderer, I want to be Annie the Defender." I ranted, not caring about my broken façade. Levi's eyes narrowed.

"Why don't you like working with the others?" He probed. I could see his purpose; he was looking for any contradictions I might make.

"Because they never told me anything. And they were cruel. The weak, the ones swept up in the flow, were just prey to them."

"What makes the ones swept in the flow different?"

"People don't see them as people. The world may be cruel, they are human too. _I'm_ human too!" I yelled. Levi lowered his blade.

"You may make idealisms like that, but how do you justify your previous actions?"

"I was under orders by those stronger than me. If I had rebelled, Reiner and Berthold would have just killed me. They can always find another one like me."

"So you killed all those people just to save your own skin?"

"Yes."

"So would you kill us, if Reiner and Berthold came back?"

"Maybe."

"That's not very reassuring."

"If Eren has as much potential as I think he does, Reiner and Berthold will have too much trouble on their hands to bother coming back."

"And you can train him?"

"I hope I can."

"You hope?" He mocked me.

"I don't know how 'trainable' he is."

"Fair enough."

"Am I in or not?" I asked. Levi stared at me and considered his options.

"Yes. For now. But if you show even the slightest sign of betrayal, I will kill you."

"OF course." I gulped down my fear. I knew he was able of killing me, probably the only one who could.

**Author's Note:**

**I don't know if I'll finish this one. It kinda started as LevixAnnie, but I'm having second thoughts. Who knows? This is just an experiment. **

**As for Levi's last name, in manga Ch. 59, it is revealed that he does indeed hold the surname of Ackerman, along with another man who is a serial killer. **

**Please review! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

Levi pressed a handkerchief to my face and the world slowly faded. _I hope he doesn't change his mind…_

When I awoke, the gag was still in place. I rolled my eyes. _Levi really distrusts me. Not that he has no reason too. _I considered. The door opened and Hanji walked in, her footsteps erratic and excited.

"Hello, Annie! I'm quite excited to be studying you! Such an interesting titan." She rambled. I smirked. Hanji Zoe was exactly as eccentric as Eren had described her. Hanji removed the gag from me mouth and offered me a drink. I gulped it down greedily, a few droplets dripping down my chin. Sighing in satisfaction, I handed the bottle back to Hanji. She stared at me curiously.

"Water seems to be very important. The guard said the first word out of your mouth was "Water". Why is that?" The mattress squeaked as Hanji sat beside me. I shrugged.

"I don't really know. Water has always been higher than food. It just is." I tried to explain. Hanji considered it.

"Hm. From what I've seen, titans do steam when they regenerate. Perhaps water is the key element?" She mused, turning her intense glare back on me.

"I don't know for sure. But that seems reasonable." I offered. Hanji suddenly stood up as a bell rang from outside. ]

"Come on! It's dinner time." She ordered. I rose shakily. Whatever energy I had was spent on everything I'd been doing since my escape.

"Hanji?" I asked, slowly walking towards the door.

"Yes?"

"Why was there only one guard?" She was puzzled at first to my question.

"Oh, for your cell?" She clarified.

"Yes."

"Ah, I believe it was to keep your whereabouts as secret as possible." She explained. I nodded. We turned and walked down the stairs. By the bottom, I'd broken a light sweat. _I must've been even more weakened than I thought. _

We approached a large table. Everyone was eating their rations. From the stairs, I could hear the chatter of everyone; Jean teasing Sasha, Connie joking, Krista making some comment to Armin about something, and Eren generally being loud, like well, Eren.

They all fell silent when we walked in.

Levi glared as I walked in.

The only sound was Hanji and my chairs scraping against the stone floor.

There was already a plate of bread and some cold tea. I calmly sipped the tea, trying to maintain my composure with so much food around. My stomach growled audibly. Connie flinched. His left eye twitched, his face turned pink, and finally he laughed. And laughed. And laughed.

I stopped chewing for glare at him, which only seemed to make him laugh harder. Soon Sasha was spluttering and laughing too, but not before spewing bread out of her mouth. I flicked a breadcrumb off my cheek, disgusted. Mikasa and Levi were both as impassive as usual, but there seemed to be a smoldering anger in both of their eyes.

Hanji was eyeing everyone with great interest. Eren sullenly picked at his food. Armin and Krista were both chuckling quietly, unlike the raucous laughter of Sasha and Connie.

"What's so funny?" Jean snapped, annoyed at being left out of the joke. Sasha and Connie wiped the tears from their eyes.

"Annie's stomach growled." Connie laughed. Jean's eye twitched.

"And why is that so funny?"

"Cuz it's _Annie!_" Sasha yelled. Hanji snapped her fingers.

"Oh, I see! Jean, as I'm sure you know, Annie has a reputation for being cold, heartless, and ruthless. Her stomach growling was an imperfection so out of line with the perception of her character that Connie and Sasha found it amusing." She finished with a flourish. I finished my dinner, feeling as if I hadn't eaten at all. The ice at the table seemed to melt a bit with the laughter. Levi, Mikasa, and Eren all had their glares trained on me. _Must be some kind of contest. _ I mused. Armin, while talking to Krista, seemed to keep a nonchalant eye on me as well.

The casual conversation seemed to continue until everyone had eaten. Eren and Levi still hadn't said a single word since my entrance, but Mikasa was forced into speaking when asked a question by Krista. She seemed slightly miffed about it. I smirked inwardly. Hanji rose, her chair squealing against the floor.

"Alright everyone! Lunch is over! Eren, Annie, Levi, and myself-"

"And me." Mikasa interjected.

"-will be outside."

"Sasha, Connie, the dishes won't clean themselves. And they had better be to my standards." Levi ordered, to the troublesome two's dismay. "Krista, Armin, Jean;" Levi continued, ignoring Hanji's annoyed look. "will be cleaning the house and stables: also to my standards." With that he rose and left, followed by Eren and Mikasa. Sasha and Connie hurried to clean the dishes, while whispering conspiratorially. Krista, Armin, and Jean vanished to the supply room.

"Well, that leaves us, Annie. We'd best get to it." Hanji said, slapping Annie on the back. We walked out the door, the bright sunlight hurting my eyes. I raised my hand, annoyed at my unusual sensitivity to sunlight. Hanji stared at me curiously.

"Does the sunlight hurt your eyes?" She asked.

"Yes. Only momentarily." I replied. Hanji whipped out a notebook and scribbled down a note. Adjusting her glasses, she continued to inquire.

"Does burn? Or sting? Or is like strange feeling one gets after sitting too long and suddenly stretching?!" Her volume rose with each inquiry. I shrugged.

"It's just like coming out of the dark and into sunlight. Nothing unusual."

"I see." Hanji mumbled as she wrote down more notes. Stuffing the notebook in her jacket, we proceeded to a wide field, surrounded by forest on all sides. _Smart move. If I chose to shift here, I'd have to run through the woods. Levi would catch me for sure. _I mused. Eren and the others were waiting at the centre of the field.

"So how are we going to do this?" I asked.

"However you think is best for Eren." Levi responded. I noted that he and Mikasa both had their gear on.

"Well, that's specific." I muttered sarcastically.

"You offered to do this job; now do it." Levi threw back. I shrugged.

"Fine." Without further ado, I bit my thumb. Within seconds, I was staring down at them from a height. Eren was madly biting his thumb, but couldn't shift for whatever reason. One swift kick, and training was over. I peeled out of the warm shell of my titan, utterly exhausted, only to face an enraged Levi and Mikasa. Hanji was running after Eren. These two seemed more interested in revenge, although Mikasa kept glancing back in Eren's direction.

"Just what was that?!" Levi shouted, his blade leveled at my neck. Mikasa's hand kept twitching around hers.

"Training. Eren needs to learn to shift as quickly as possible in any given situation or he will be captured or killed." I deadpanned.

"So kicking him across the field was _training_?" Mikasa asked, enraged. I rolled my eyes.

"Eren's not dead, he'll just need a day to recover. I didn't kick him _that_ hard." I told her. Levi sheathed his blade. I noticed that my legs were trembling. Levi's eyes narrowed.

"Are you okay?" He growled. A sweat had begun to break out. Yellow spots danced before my eyes.

"No." I said, before blacking out.

**Author's Note:**

**I am genuinely surprised at the amount of input I received for this! The reviews were split about even, so anyone can still put in their vote for either LevixAnnie or ErenxAnnie. I'm still undecided as there are SO many angles to take with each side. **

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

I groaned as my vision slowly blurred into color. _Owwww. I need me some chamomile tea._ I mused, wincing as I turned over. _Since when did shifting leave me _this_ sore?_ I stayed where I was, and realized the dry patch in my throat had grown again.

_Water. I'm back to square one…again. _

I slowly sat up, pursing my lips to stop groaning from the pain. I was pretty sore going into this, and it seemed that the inadequate food and water had been too much on me. Standing was excruciating. A sweat was already breaking out on my forehead.

_Suck it up, soldier. You need the water and food. _

My resolve pushed my feet forward as I shuffled to the door. I'd never, in my entire life, been this wounded. Not even when my father had pushed me his hardest. Not even during Shifter Training. _I'm gonna need a week to recover from this. At least Eren will out of commission for at least a day. _

I came to the stairs. Hugging the wall, I silently and carefully took each step at a time. The back door slammed open and shut. Two sets of angry footsteps almost came up the stairs but stopped.

"So that's it? Just "hey, we have the same last name, we're probably related, sorry for breaking your heart'? C'mon Levi, you can do better than that!" It was Mikasa. Annie settled down on a step to listen to the drama. _So Mikasa and Captain Levi had a thing going? I always heard he was sweet on the blond chick. Guess not._

"Mikasa." He started.

"Don't say that." She snapped. _Wow. Mikasa's raging over there. She hasn't been this mad since the forest. Dang, Levi, how did you get her so attached to you?_

"Ackerman. I doubt we're related. "

"We have the same last name! How many Ackermans are there?" Mikasa countered.

"Fair enough. But you're oriental. I'm not." Levi tried to placate her.

"I'm half oriental." She snapped.

"… I didn't know that."

"Fine."

"I doubt you're related to Kaney."

"Who might that be?"

"Serial killer."

"Fantastic. I'm guessing he raised you?"

"Yes. He gave me the surname Ackerman. I reject it."

"Why?"

"Mikasa, don't be a fool. Because I don't want to be affiliated with him. There was never any legal adoption. People just started calling me Ackerman. I didn't have another surname when I going the Survey Corps. And I had everyone call me Captain Levi."

"Levi. We'll finish this later." Mikasa sounded exasperated. I continued to crept down the stairs. Any luck and they wouldn't realize I had listened. Stepping into the kitchen, I stopped short. They were literally making out. I turned toward the pantry. If there was anything I hated more than myself, it was this. _Disgusting. _

"Annie." Levi growled. "What are you doing?"

"Eating."

"We have rations for a reason."

"I need to live." I turned to him. He and Mikasa were standing there like nothing happened other than a some tousles.

"What do you mean?" Mikasa asked tiredly.

"I'm exhausted. I can barely move and I'm dying of thirst and hunger. My body needs to heal, but it can't without substance."

"Why didn't you mention this sooner?" Levi snapped.

"Because I thought I didn't think I needed to. But the training session proved me wrong." I replied.

"I see." Levi sighed. "Just finish what you're already eating. We need the rest of those rations."

"Fine. Where's the well?"

"Outside, to the right of the door." Mikasa directed.

"Well then," I said, swallowing the last of the bread. "I guess I'll leave you to enjoy each other's company." I walked out the door, catching Mikasa's crimson face. Even Levi had a slight, almost in perceptible shad of pink to his.

There was a small canteen by the well, presumably for drinking. I wrestled with the pump, not enjoying the muscle pains in doing so. Finally finished, I plopped down on the soft earth with the canteen, and drank my fill. Satisfied for now, I finally looked around myself. Without being unconscious, trying to figure out how to train Eren in weakened state, or experiencing excruciating pain. The whole place was out pretty far. Either it was in Wall Maria or one of the few farming districts left Rose. Something told me Maria was a closer bet. I took another swig from the canteen.

What bothered me more than anything perhaps, was this weakness of mine. I still didn't know what had happened in the gap in my memory. Scowling, I decided to go find someone to would.

**Author's Note: **

**If you've read any other SnK stuff by me, you'll know I've shipped RivaMika in the past. If you'd like an explanation as to why Levi probably isn't mid-thirties, I'll tell you in a PM. It's a bit complicated. **

**Anyway, due to an overwhelming majority the fic will be ErenxAnnie. **


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